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We know that whether you’re an athlete, bodybuilder, therapist, or simply someone committed to optimal muscle recovery, power is paramount when choosing a massage gun. And finding the right one is challenging in a market full of sports massagers that don’t live up to their promises.
So today, we’ll take you through the most powerful massage gun picks that actually deliver.
You will learn:
We always have fun when picking and testing our recommendations. So much fun that we looked at 70 different massage guns unfazed.
That must be brutal, you say. It’s not as brutal as finding out that the massager you bought with a lot of money is a bust. We simply don’t take chances, so we personally test every sports massager against a set of criteria.
What does the strongest massage gun need to have, then?
Mostly, we are looking at three key areas. They are,
Our recommendations also factor in price.
We’ve lined up some of the most popular massage guns on the market to vie for the position as the most powerful massage gun – according to us!
Stall force, sometimes also called ‘no-stall force,‘ is the amount of pressure it takes to stop the motor of a massage gun. You want something that will continue working even under considerable pressure.
Based on our experience, as far as the most powerful massage guns are concerned, we don’t often recommend anything less than 50 lbs.
Conclusion and Winner of the Most Powerful Massage Gun (by stall force)
As you can see from the graph above, Theragun Pro and Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun come out on top with an impressive 60 lbs. of stall force – making them a tie for the most powerful massage guns by stall force.
Runner-Up: This is the Ekrin Kestrel, which, although it might have “only” 56 pounds – in this model, RPMs range from 1800 to 3500.
Keep reading to understand why this is significant.
How long the stroke length is how far the massage head travels back and forth and importantly how deep into the muscle it hits. The longer the stroke length, the more ‘punchy’ it feels. A note to the buyer – a higher amplitude might be more beneficial for those seeking a massage gun for deep tissue.
Sometimes, the manufacturer sacrifices this for a better stall force. This doesn’t make the gun weaker; it’s just a different means of achieving a powerful sports massager.
That said, we prefer a full-size massage gun with a minimum amplitude of 12mm. Anything below this is simply not powerful enough if you’re seeking the best deep tissue massage.
Ideally, it would be best if you were looking at a massage gun with a stroke length of 15-16mm. We have a separate post covering highest amplitude massage guns, you may want to check it as well.
Also, keep in mind that the stroke length also affects percussions per minute (RPM). More on that in a minute.
Conclusion and Winner of the Most Powerful Massage Guns (by amplitude)
Again, the Theragun Pro and the Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun take the number one position in this category. Both sports massagers hit the longest amplitude available at 16mm.
Note on Amplitude:
Percussion range is how many times the head hits in a minute. This is where things might be a bit fuzzy in massage gun talk. As mentioned above, stroke length has a role to play here. A longer stroke length may mean fewer percussions per minute and vice versa.
However, there’s a third aspect to be considered here, and that’s the stall force. Sometimes, a massage gun may have a higher stall force but a shorter amplitude and, consequently, a much higher percussion range.
That explains our inclusion of the Ekrin Kestrel, which has a shorter amplitude but a greater stall force. Where it fails in amplitude, it delivers in stall force and hits per minute.
On the other hand, sports massagers like the Theragun Pro or the Bob and Brad D6 Pro have an excellent stall force and longer amplitude but far less percussion range (about 2400 – 2500 RPM).
Conclusion
High-amplitude sports massagers, such as the Theragun Pro and the Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun, tend to rev slower but offer deeper percussion.
Sports massagers like Ekrin Kestrel offer more intensity (faster percussions) but don’t hit as deep. Both approaches are equally effective; therefore, the 3500 RPM positions it on the strongest massage gun list!
There are other things worth looking at if you like every base covered. They include:
What is the most powerful massage gun? These are our top three picks that cover all the bases.
What we like the most:
4.8
Before including the Ekrin Kestrel in this article, we featured the B37S, which is packed full of notable features, including a big stall force of 57 lbs, a mid-range amplitude of 12mm, and a percussion range from 2000 to 3200 RPM; we were skeptical that the Ekrin Kestrel would indeed be much more impressive.
To our delight, the Ekrin Kestrel has blown us away, and it’s mostly due to its super-fast RPMs, and they added just 1mm extra to the amplitude. Let us just say that this sports massager packs a punch and rightly earns its position as number one as the most powerful massage gun!
When testing the Ekrin Kestrel, we loved its power and versatility. On slower speeds, we were able to get a great relaxation-type massage; while cranking this beast up to its top speed (3500 RPM) and fine-tuning the right attachment, we were able to produce a force-full massage that even Heidi didn’t want to apply additional pressure.
The combination of the additional 1mm of amplitude and a top percussive speed of 3500 RPM, this massage gun will out-perform most other guns out there but with one key point that sets it apart from the rest… the ability to be gentler than a sports massager with a longer stroke length!
The percussion range is up to 3500 RPM. Insane! That’s why it is on the strongest massage gun list!
Now, couple that with the high stall force and a decent 13mm amplitude and we’re talking colossal performance here. You can see why it made our list.
What else did we discover during our test? Ekrin Athletics (and Theragun) have some of the best ergonomic designs in the industry – in our opinion. Just a slight angle to the handle makes an enormous difference to the comfort level while using the Ekrin Kestrel – it’s great reaching over the shoulder without putting your arm or wrist out. Plus, it weighs just 2.2 pounds and feels well-balanced.
The Ekrin Kestrel comes with 6 high-quality massage gun attachments and a Samsung-branded battery. And let’s not forget, it comes with a lifetime warranty!
DEAL ALERT – LIMITED TIME OFFER!
The regular price of the Ekrin Kestrel is $349, but if you use the MGA100 coupon, you’ll snag this baby for only $249.99, which is ~30% off. Get it right here and save $100 when you buy the white version.
Read More: Read our in-depth review of the Ekrin Kestrel here.
4.7
We will pick the Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun as our second most powerful massage gun because it has everything athletes, bodybuilders, and demanding users need.
For starters, this is a big hard massager. We found it bulky and heavy, heavier than any of our top picks. It weighs 2.86 pounds same as the Therabody Pro 5th Gen. For us, this wasn’t a problem, but for small folks, it could potentially be.
However, you can take advantage of the D-shaped handle to ease the pressure on your wrist.
Bob and Brad massage guns may have gone after Theragun’s patented look. The Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun not only looks surprisingly like the mighty Theragun Pro, but it also performed pretty much the same when we tested it.
So, in terms of performance, the Bob and Brad D6 Pro has a 16mm amplitude, which we verified with a caliper. The Bob and Brad brand hasn’t made sports massagers with a long amplitude before, so this one seems the exception. With 16mm, expect thuds and the best deep tissue massage when you need it.
It’s not just the amplitude that makes this thing a monster. The stall force is just enormous!
Bob and Brad advertise it as 85 lbs., but we are not sure that is the true figure. We pitted it against Theragun Pro, and the resistance felt similar. We’d say it’s about 60 lbs.
With its significant amplitude and powerful stall force, this is the sports massager you need when you’re a big guy.
Then, there is also the matter of percussions per minute. Now, we often don’t expect hard massagers to rev fast. This one can rev up to 2500 RPM. This is decent enough – Theraguns can do 2450 RPM at best.
We love how equipped it is. Our unit came with a hard carrying case and a smaller pouch to carry the attachments.
Speaking of massage gun attachments, there are 7 in there, and all scream Theragun-like quality.
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro is relatively quiet for a high-amplitude sports massager. Its battery is 2500mAh, the same as our top option, the Ekrin Kestrel, and it is still good enough to last a week on a single charge.
It is reasonably priced. It normally costs about $250, but if you apply the Amazon coupon and the MGAD6PRO code at checkout, it’s cheaper than our top pick. Check it out here at Amazon.
Read More: In our full Bob and Brad D6 Pro Review.
4.6
Opove has been doing well with their Hypervolt-inspired percussive therapy devices.
We got wind about the M3 Pro massage gun, the company’s best seller, and decided to test it. Turns out, the buzz was well-deserved; this sports massager packs a surprisingly powerful punch!
Opove advertises a 70 lbs stall force, but when we tested it, it felt just slightly lower, somewhere between 45 and 50 lbs. But, given its price point, this is still well above average but not one of the most powerful massage guns.
The amplitude is also impressive at over 12mm (12.3mm, to be precise). When you combine that with the above-average stall force, you’re definitely getting an effective punch from this sports massager.
The percussion range is a reasonable 1300 to 2600 RPM, which puts it on par with some of the best high amplitude massage guns out there, especially considering its stroke length.
We were also pleased with how quiet this massage gun is (45-63 dB). The smooth, non-disturbing sound it produces is a welcome feature.
Ergonomically, the Opove M3 Pro is good but not outstanding. While it doesn’t have an angled handle, the balance is good, and the rubberized handle allows for a firm and confident grip. The massage gun feels quite premium, and we didn’t spot any cheap hard plastic used in its construction.
Are there any drawbacks?
However, it remains an excellent option for active individuals, amateur athletes, or bodybuilders who want a wallet-friendly choice.
The price is normally $129 but right now you can get it for only $104 at opove.com. We think it’s a very attractive price point for all the specs this massage gun has to offer.
Read More: Find out more in our hands-on Opove M3 Pro Review.
Our last runner-up for the most powerful massage gun goes to the Lifepro DynaFlex. This sports massager is a great combination of strength but budget-friendly. So, if you’re in the market for something powerful but don’t want to spend on a premium product, this could be a solid choice.
The Dynaflex isn’t low quality by any means; it just lacks the premium feel of some of our top picks. However, it’s a well-built massage gun that feels stable and looks quite heavy-duty.
We were also impressed by its power; in our tests, it boasted a solid 45 lbs. of stall force (which we found to be fairly accurate). It feels more or less similar to the Opove M3 Pro massage gun mentioned above, possibly even slightly more powerful.
To sweeten the deal even more, Lifepro gave this massage gun a 13mm stroke length – we were able to verify it using a digital caliper. This setup will work perfectly with this kind of stall force.
The percussion range of 1250-2850 RPM is also good, allowing for a low-intensity start that you can gradually increase as needed.
This sports massager has 16 speed levels! That’s a lot. We don’t recommend anything with more than 6 speeds because getting to the right setting is too daunting.
However, we’ll ignore it because the sports massager has a wide enough range to justify those additional speeds.
Another advantage you may like is the 10 massage gun attachments which can be useful if you want to target different body parts. We know that a set of 6 attachment heads is more than enough, though.
On the plus side, the battery is great, and it is fully detachable. It also features an adjustable rotational head that can be locked in four different positions to improve the ergonomics a bit – a feature on two of our picks.
Overall, it deserves a place in the line-up for one of the most powerful massage guns.
Any Cons? Some, yes.
Lastly, like Ekrin Athletics, Lifepro also offers a lifetime warranty for its massage guns, so you don’t really risk anything. Any returns are hassle-free as well (we went through the process on no one occasion).
The price is only $179.99 if you use the coupon MGA10 which gives you 10% off the normal price ($199). Get it in Lifepro store right here.
Read More: Check out the full Lifepro Dynaflex review.
The Theragun PRO is one of the most powerful massage guns and by far the best-equipped one. So why didn’t we include the Theragun Pro in our Top 3? To be honest, we had a debate on whether it should feature.
In our tests (full review here), it actually ticked all our boxes to be included on the list of the most powerful massage guns, but the price gave it away. It’s 5 times the price of the Opove M3 Pro and almost double that of our best pick, the Ekrin Kestrel.
Even so, the Theragun Pro still deserves an honorable mention. It remains one of the top and most powerful massage guns on the market.
And even if some massage gun beats it in this, it’s likely the most innovative massage gun of them all.
Here are some advantages it has over the others:
Drawbacks? Just one, but it’s a BIG one:
Well, we had a bit of a guilt trip for failing to include the Theragun Pro, but we are not sorry for not including the latest Hypervolt 2 Pro. Let us explain.
In our Hypervolt 2 Pro review, we complained about the 2 Pro’s low stall force, which we estimated at only 30 to 35 lbs in our test. This has been our own estimation since Hyperice wouldn’t disclose the exact number.
But just for comparison, the predecessor model, the good old Hypervolt Plus, had a powerful stall force of about 50 lbs, which was more or less the same as the Ekrin B37S. The difference is easily noticeable.
It has a high 14mm amplitude and goes for $329, which is expensive, yet arguably fair for a good massage gun brand like Hyperice.
But the thing is that apart from the high amplitude and slightly improved ergonomics (slimmer, oval handle), we feel it has nothing really unique to offer. Well, unless you have a thing for Bluetooth. Here are some notes to compare:
Our Thoughts:
Hypervolt 2 Pro is a good massage gun and we will be recommending it somewhere else. But today we won’t include it to the most powerful massage guns list. We feel the price is somewhat high and it doesn’t offer anything special over our other choices.
The Theragun Pro can have a prayer with its rotating arm and triangular design and all, but the Hypervolt simply doesn’t cut it.
4.9
What is the most powerful mini massage gun? Despite the many mini massage guns available on the market, finding a truly powerful one can be a challenge (we know something about it; check this guide).
To give you a better understanding:
Therefore, these two mini massage guns are not the ones you should be looking at.
Instead, you should consider the Ekrin Bantam. This little sucker is so impressive. Granted, the amplitude of about 10mm is less than what you get with the Theragun mini, but Theragun aside, there are no other mini massage guns that come with an amplitude of more than 10mm.
Where the Ekrin Bantam shines, however, is the stall force.
With well over 30 lbs. of pressure needed to stall the motor, the Ekrin Bantam is harder to stall than many full-sized massage guns. To give you an example, the tiny Ekrin Bantam rivals the full-sized Theragun Prime, which needs 30 lbs of pressure to stall.
What’s more, the Ekrin Bantam’s power is absolute. These are not just advertised as 35 lbs.; these are real.
Weighing in at only 1.1 lbs., the Ekrin Bantam comes with four massage gun attachments and a carrying case. Its top-notch build quality gives it a premium feel.
It charges conveniently via USB-C and is backed by Ekrin Athletics’ fantastic lifetime warranty. Overall, the Ekrin Bantam truly stands out as the most powerful mini massage gun we’ve tried.
The Ekrin Bantam retails for $149.99, but with the MGA20 coupon, you save 20% and the price goes down to only $119.99. You can buy the Bantam here.
Read More: Read the full Ekrin Bantam review here.
Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this most powerful massage gun ride with us. Most massage guns will give you just enough performance, but in our book, “just enough” isn’t good enough.
Instead of relying on advertised specifications, we went ahead and verified the numbers provided with our set of tools – digital calipers, laser tachometers, and more.
As a result, we chose Ekrin Kestrel as our winner, with Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun being a very close second. While they represent two different, yet highly effective, approaches to deep tissue massage using massage guns, the weight of the Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun bumped it a bit further down the ladder.
But honestly, if you were to choose either sports massager, you’d be happy!
If you need a versatile hard massager that won’t break the bank, give any of these a shot, and you will see why we have been so enthusiastic about them.
Thank you, and goodbye!
Here's a quick rundown of all the tweaks and edits we've made to this article to keep it accurate and up-to-date!
Current version.
October 23, 2024 Post revisited and improved for accuracy and readability. (Author: Mario)
September 8, 2024 Minor text changes for better readability. (Author: Greg)
August 3, 2024 Updated with more information; minor edits in the guide section. (Author: Luke)
Published on:
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Written by:
Luke Deszczulka
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